How Meccaniche Veloci Wowed Crowds atCouture 2013 Las Vegas with Only One Watch

Although Meccaniche Veloci is a relatively new name to most American jewelers and retailers, it’s a name that few will forget having visited the Meccaniche Veloci display at Couture’s Chambertin 2 Ballroom. These handcrafted Italian masterpieces are produced in very limited editions and evoke the excitement and speed of European motor racing at it’s very best.

According to Meccaniche Veloci’s Monica Banon, who flew in from Italy for Couture, these iconic timepieces have always had a strong appeal with watch aficionados who appreciate great industrial design, watchmaking innovation, and the world of speed.

What appealed to the crowd at Couture 2013 was something totally unique to the watch industry: a collection of fine timepieces, each produced in an edition of one. Every watch in the exclusive Meccaniche Veloci “Only One” collection is literally one of a kind. To produce these unique and extremely exclusive timepieces, each watch is constructed using recovered materials from the world of speed. For example, a dial might be fabricated from the fiberglass fairing of a well-known championship racing car, or perhaps from the magnesium flap from a supersonic fighter jet.

When a suitable part has been located, areas of interest are identified and then individually unique dials are cut from the material. Customers can select a specific area on a faring or wing for their own one-of-a-kind dial. Since exotic materials like carbon fiber and magnesium are difficult to cut and machine, only a few of these exclusive timepieces are ever produced.

Monica Banon says that this unique concept has proved very popular in countries like Japan and Turkey, adding that a jeweler or watch retailer in these countries might buy an entire recovered fender or wing, so they would have the opportunity to sell the entire production run of twenty to thirty watches. The recovered racing item, complete with the circular holes where material has been removed to make a dial, is often displayed in the retailer’s window to demonstrate the authenticity of the “Only One” concept.

One-of a-kind watches aren’t the only things that Meccaniche Veloci is famous for. Racing inspired designs like the Quattro Valvole 48 Four Strokes, 44 Chronograph, Due Valvole and the exciting new Chrono Driver are also produced in limited numbers for discriminating watch aficionados. Fans of this unique brand often say that Meccaniche Veloci is the first watch that truly reflects their personality.

These beautifully engineered watches will never be produced in large quantities, but if the crowds at Couture 2013 are any indication, they will soon have a much larger fan base. There was a lot of buzz about Meccaniche Veloci at this year’s show. The brand has managed to do something truly unique, and visitors to the Chambertin 2 Ballroom knew it. In a world where exclusivity is appreciated and even revered, an entire collection of one-of-a-kind timepieces is something very special.